The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1887-10-29
DELICE.
(Eor The Times-Democrat.1

| AhChlNAo SdAo VI xSUS SOuu0 upRcdIeU
to be cutious'y affected, for, contrary
to the habit Of the twenty.f five or thirty
individuals thereof, not a single one
| was gesticulattUg, and as another evil
dence OF their abnormal condition not
single whif Of cigarette smoke rose
from the assernblage. Not to gesticu.
late and not to smoke were incon-
trovertible evidences Of some very uu-
usual conditions present thereabouts.
If in 1856 one had been told that Theoe
phile Latiere could remain two miu-
utes without struggling his shoulders,
throwing his open hands forward, the
! tips of his fingers together, with \ mo
tion as tito deliver his internal ana
tony to his listeners, or kissing the
punched ends of his digits as the
ecstacy Of some delight crossed his
mind, such statements would be re-
ceivcd with sceptical smile that
showed there was a doubt of the af-
! tiant's sanity. Theophile was not the
only gallant of those days who suited
his actions with variety of ornament to
his words. For some occult reason
profuse gesticulatiou seems to be pass
ing away here, and the undemonstra-
tive style Of delivery has become more
| fashionable.
Old Miguel, the affable host, with
his shortcut white hair, round head,
and smiling Spanish face, himself
seemed to have lost something of his
vivacity: and contrary to his custom,
failed to hum soto voce a favorite
madrigal as he mixed the orgeat and
water for some thirsty customer. The
parrot that hung at the end of the
room had not shouted "Caramba" for
two days, and Miguel's two game
cocks in their laticed pens in the yard
appeared to have lost ali appetite for
Growing savageIy at one another. In
the little brick kitchen that stood. hid
den in fig trees back in the yard, away
from the laughter and good cheer of
| the cafe, Celeste, that ebony 7nait,esse
de cuiei,ae, who knew so we'll how to
make CONDO fsri, aud nurse the yellow
fever, even that damsel of two hum
dred aud twenty pounds had not grum-
bled once that morning at Baptiste who
was the bottle-Washer of the establish
| ment.
The assemblage on the banquette
gradually drifted into:the cafe, by twos
and threes, their conversation being
still carried on in an undertone. The
movement Of feet on the ssnded floor
gave out more sound than the voices
of the speakers, and v hen Miguel pop
ped the cork out of bottle OF porter
the report seemed almost startling.
! Anxiety was written on the faces Of
the men. They looked at one another
| as if sOme common misery had woven
fraternal bond between them, and
! where always there had been extreme
politeness and courtesy, now was ex-
hibited the most absolute selfsacrifice
and wish to show how true had been
! the protesta,ions of fellowship before.
They were all young gentlemen of 50.
! cial standing, the eldest being not
more than twenty. eight years of age.
To Miguel they We're known as Les
Poisso's Rouges, the Red Fish:
About five years before this gather
ing at tho Cafe de Bienvenu, three
large schooners in cloud of sails dis
appeared around Point Aux Herbes, in
Lake Pontchartrain, bound out for the
Chandoleur Islands. Each vessel had
OH board ten to twelve young men, all
members OF pleasure organization
that yearly crused among the islands
of the Gulf aftel red fish and Spanish
mackercl. They carried their negro
servants with them, ond all the para>.
phernalia for capturing the denizens OF
the bright, green wafer along the
Louisiana coast. After delightful
run anchors were dropped in snug
harbor behind one of the ChandeIeurs,
and, for variety, large tents made from
spare sails were pitched on the sandy
| beach. About two hundred yards on
| tho other side of the island the rollers
| from the Gulf came in, pounding the
sand with dull cullen roar. After a
| bounteous supper and some story tell
ing around the camp fires all rolled
themselves up on the sand, sheltered
by the tents from the dew, for a good
| nights rest. About IL o'clock 1t be-
gan TO rain, and this was followed by
| heavy gusts OF wind.
The improvised tents were soon lev
eled and the drenched inmates hurried
on board their respective schooners that
| lay only ten or twenty yards from the
beach. The wind increased every mo-
men,. Tho vessels' awnings, that had
! been spread to shelter the Voyagers,
were ripped from their fastenipgs and
had to be hurriedly furled. Then, as
the schooners began to drag, extra an
chors were put out. Overhead the
sky was inky and the wind carried the
spray across the island with such force
the drops stung sharply as they struck
the face. Where the schooners lay
there was no sea, but tho wind made
them jerk at their cables venomously.